National Geographic Explorer in Svalbard
Our first morning on-board dawned windy and cold. Fall seems to have arrived to Svalbard. Snow during the night covered the surrounding land making the scenery look truly Arctic. With a following wind, National Geographic Explorer made her way into the entrance of Woodfjord and then turned into Leifdefjord. Here, at the end of the very beautiful fjord, Monacobreen (Monaco Glacier) spans from mountain to mountain. Zodiac cruises left not too long after breakfast.
The low gray clouds made the intense blue colors of the glacier stand out more than ever. Brash ice and small icebergs filled the water in front of the vast river of ice. Overhead kittiwakes, glaucous gulls, Arctic terns, Arctic skuas, and even a few of the much coveted ivory gulls were soaring and diving for food in the water. The chance to see the Arctic skua – otherwise known as the parasitic jaeger because it will pester other birds until they drop their own hard-earned meal – chasing a kittiwake around us was exciting. Just when we thought we had seen it all at the face of Monacobreen a polar bear was spotted. At first it was laying on a bergy bit, but soon it took to the water and began swimming along the front of the glacier. It was amazing at how quickly we lost track of the cream-colored head in the water, so fast it swam that it would appear lost behind a piece of ice. The second round of cruises departed from the ship and soon found the swimming bear. It had hauled itself out of the water again. This allowed for everyone to have a nice look at this very large male bear. The weather, however, deteriorated and soon the snow was falling again. Amazing how quickly conditions can change out here.
The snow showers continued during lunch as National Geographic Explorer moved further out the fjord and anchored at a place commonly called Reindeer Flats or Sordahlsodden. Hikes were planned and those who felt brave enough to battle the cold and snow went ashore to stretch their legs.
The landscape in Svalbard has been made so much more special with the addition of powdery snow. Not only does it seem that much more surreal and magical, but we are all that much more aware that we are truly in the high Arctic. Here there is snow and cold and ice. Here winter is coming soon. Here, where the sun doesn’t set all summer, the evenings are filled with a golden or rosy glow from a sun that is lower on the horizon than it has been in months. Tomorrow, our Arctic adventure continues.
